Coal face man-riding carriage



Oct. 25, 1966 T. POLLARD 3,

COAL FACE MAN-RIDING CARRIAGE Filed March 25, 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 ill 00 INVENTOR THOMAS POLLAFEP Oct. 25, 1966 T. POLLARD 3,280,570

COAL FACE MAN-RIDING CARRIAGE Filed March 23, 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 m INVENTOR:

THOMA S POLLARD ews.

Oct. 25, 1966 T. POLLARD 3,280,570

COAL FACE MAN-RIDING CARRIAGE Filed March 25, 1964 5 SheetsSheet -5 O m m l 10 Q; g 2; O 0 01 I 1 o o W N GO L53 as: L

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THOMAS POLLA RD Oct. 25, 1966 T. POLLARD COAL FACE MAN-RIDING CARRIAGE 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed March 23, 1964v t Q NW 2 0 7% g INVENTOR THOMAS PoLLARD BY fi Oct. 25, 1966 T. POLLARD COAL FACE MAN-RIDING CARRIAGE Filed March 23. 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR:

BY Z 9 V AIJYS.

THOMAS POLLAR D United States Patent Ofiiice 3,233,573 Patented Oct. 25, 1966 3,280,570 COAL FACE MAN-RIDING CARRIAGE Thomas Pollard, Charley, England, assignor to Gullick Limited, Wigan, England, a British company Filed Mar. 23, 19m, Sex. N0. 353,717 Claims. (Cl. 6145) This invention is for improvements in or relating to transport carriage system for carrying miners along a coal face.

Heretofore, in long face coal mining, control of the coal cutter and advance of the mechanized (e.g., hydraulic) roof supports or chocks has generally been effected by men working in and along the seam. This is a laborious and often a time wasting procedure particularly when it is borne in mind that a seam may be, for example, 200 yards long but of low height, so that a man may have to crawl up to 200 yards in order to reset the most distant roof supports or attend to some fault in the cutting or other mechanism.

Attempts have been made to monitor the positions of the roof supports, along the coal face, and the roof pressure to which they are subjected and to adjust and position them from a remote control station located, for example, at the road-head. For instance, attempts have been made to effect this remote control of the cutting machine and advancement and re-setting of the roof supports by electric or radio control using magnetic valves to control the supply of hydraulic fluid to the supports. Such equipment is, however, very expensive and can defeat its own object which is to obtain higher rates of output with less manpower because, should a fault occur in any of the supports or machinery, along the coal face, it is still necessary for a man or men to go through the laborious and time-occupying procedure of crawling along the face to make the necessary repairs or adjustments.

The present invention has the same object as previously proposed remote control system (i.e. to achieve higher rates of output with less manpower) but proposes to achieve such object not by avoiding operators having to travel along the coal face, as they may well have to do in any case, as mentioned above with previously proposed remote control systems, but by providing an arrangement for relieving the operators of the physical elfort of travelling along the face and thus making a considerable saving in the time occupied in travelling from one position on the face to another.

According to the present invention there is provided the combination with a mine roof support system, comprising a plurality of self-advancing pressure-fluid-operated supports each having a forward unit or prop and a rearward unit or prop, of a track or passageway extending longitudinally of the support system between the forward and rearward units or props of the several supports and under roof-bars carried by and between said forward and rearward units or props, and at least one vehicle, adapted to run on said track or along said passageway, from which a person may control movement of the vehicle and attend to the operation of the supports and/or coal cutting machine. Generally, the sledge or carriage will be arranged to travel on the goat side of the conveyor.

There may, of course, be a measure of remote control between a man on the sledge or carriage and, for example, the mechanized roof supports or chocks, but the distance between the sledge or carriage and the chock or support to be operated may be only small. For instance, a man on the sledge or carriage may control the operation of one hydraulically mechanized support or chock by valve gear on a preceding (e.g. immediately preceding) chock.

As regards control of the cutting machine by a man on the sledge or carriage this may, for example, be eifected by valves or other controls on the machine which are available to the man as he moves along on the sledge. Alternatively, control of the cutting machine from the sledge may be by remote radio control, by supersonics or over an electric cable or flexible pressure-fluid line. In the case of an electric cable or flexible pressure-fluid line arrangement, means may be provided for handling or paying-out the cable or pipe line and drawing it in as the sledge or carriage travels along the coal face so that there is no possibility of the cable or pipe line fouling or being damaged by the sledge. For instance, the cable or flexible pipe line may be arranged to lie in or on a roller track or trough mounted on and extending along the conveyor.

The complete system may comprise more than one sledge or carriage, for example, there may be two sledges or carriages one behind the other, a man on one con trolling the movement of the mechanized roof supports and a man on the other controlling operation of the coal cutting or shearing machine.

In one preferred arrangement movement of the sledge or carriage is eifected by a continuously travelling rope or chain which extends for the full length of the coal face, the arrangement being such that the man on the sledge can attach the sledge to the forward or return lengths or runs of the rope or chain so that the sledge will be moved along the coal face when and in whichever direction the man desires. The means whereby the sledge or carriage is attached to the endless travelling rope or chain will preferably be in the form of a friction or slipping clutch so that no, or little damage will occur should the sledge come up against an obstruction. Furthermore, the controls provided for the man whereby he controls movement of the sledge or carriage will preferably be of the dead-mans handle type so that the sledge or carriage will stop automatically should the man become incapable of exercising proper control.

A particular embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings wherein:

FIGURES 1, 2 and 3, when joined together at the lines II-II and IIIIII show, in plan view, a portion of the coal face and the equipment thereat,

FIGURE 4 is a cross-section on the line IVIV of FIGURE 3,

FIGURE 5 is a cross-section on the line VV of FIG- URE 2,

FIGURE 6 is a side elevation of the sledge,

FIGURE 7 is a plan view of the sledge,

FIGURE 8 is an end view of the sledge, and

FIGURE 9 is a detail view of a foot-operated device incorporated in the sledge by which a man thereon can temporarily connect the sledge to a traveling rope, chain or the like for movement along the coal face.

Referring to the drawing (FIGURES 1, 2 and 3), 10 indicates the coal cutting machine, 11 the conveyor, extending along the coal face, and 12 the hydraulically mechanised self-advancing roof supports. Each roof support 12 comprises (see FIGURES 4 and 5) a rear unit and a forward unit. The rear unit includes a base 13 and four hydraulically-extensible legs or props 14 which support a canopy or roof-bar structure 15 on their upper parts. The forward unit comprises a base 16 on which is mounted a single hydraulically-extensible prop or leg 17 which supports and applies a cantilever roof-bar 18 to the roof, said cantilever roof-bar being pivotally connected to the canopy 15 as indicated at 19.

A particular feature of the supports 12, which can be seen from FIGURES 4 and 5, is that the hydraulic ram 20, by which first the conveyor and then the supports 12 are advanced towards the coal face in the known way, is positioned in the rear support element and is connected to the conveyor 11 by a low, curved section thrust bar 21 which extends through an arch-like opening in the base 16 of the forward support element. By this arrangement a clear space and trackway is provided at S for the'man-riding sledge 22 which is adapted to travel along the coal face. For the same .reason,.the front and rear elements of the supports 12 are connected together by low, curved section tie-bars 23. It will be appreciated that the thrust bar 21 and tie-bars 23extend transversely of the space S and constitute a trackway or metal road on and over which the sledge 22 canbe drawn.

It will be noted that the space S lies between rows of props 14 and 17 and that the roof above it is adequately supported by the roof-bar structure which extends between these two rows of props.

Haulage of the sledge along the face is effected by an endless continuously travelling rope, chain or the like 24a, 24b which runs over a haulage pulley 25 (see FIG- 1) driven by a motor (not shown) at the stable hole end of the face, and a return pulley 26 (see FIGURE 3).

Foot-operated clamps 27 (see FIGURES 6 to 9) are provided'on the sledge 22 by which the man on the sledge can clamp the sledge alternatively to either the outgoing run 24a of the belt or chain or to the return run 24b thereof according to the direction he required to move along the coal face. These rope clamps are designed to pull the weight of the sledge and its passenger but to slip if more load, in the-form of an obstruction, retards movement of the sledge.

A convenient form for the clamps 27 is shown in FIG- URE 9 and comprises a pedal 28 pivotally supported on the sledge as indicated at 29. The pedal carries a clamping or gripping member 30 through which the rope vor cable 24a or 24b as the case may be passes freely when the pedal is in the position shown in FIGURE 9. When the pedal is operated in the direction of the arrow against the action of the spring 31, the clamp 30 binds or wedges onto the rope or cable so that the sledge is drawn along thereby. An abutment member or cross-bar 32 on the sledge forms a support for the end of the spring 31 remote from the pedal 28.

It will be noted that two pedals are provided at each end of the sledge, one for attaching the sledge to the run 24a of the rope or cable and one for attaching it to the run 24b. By providing pairs of pedals at both ends of.

the sledge the man can face in either direction along the.

coal face and still be able to operate the sledge.

To stop the sledge the man, of course, releases both clamping devices.

The pedal-operated clamps are of the dead-mans safety type, i.e. pressure must be maintained on the operating pedal of the clamps to cause them to take hold of the haulage rope. If this pressure is relaxed or removed, then the sledge stops.

As the man travels along the coal face on the sledge, he can manipulate the devices 33 (see FIGURES 1, 2 and 3) controlling setting and movement of the supports 12 and pushing-over of the conveyor.

In the particular arrangement shown in FIGURES 1 to 3 in which cutting of the coal takes place from right to left along the face, the supports are in groups of five, each fifth support only being provided with a valve or control device 33.

As the man moves along the coal face on the sledge he operates the control device 33 of the fifth support in each group so as to advance the supports behind him, although in some circumstances he may advance them in front of him. Only the fifth support in each group is provided with a manually-operable control device because operation of this control initiates advancing movement of the first support in its group and when this first support has been properly advanced it initiates advance of the next support and so on through the group up to a the fifth support.

It will be appreciated that pressure-fluid lines will be provided for supplying pressure-fluid to the supports and rams but for the sake of clarity these are not shown in the drawings. It will also be appreciated that the control devices 33 may be actual control valves, in these pressurefiuid pipe lines, or they may be press-button or like switch devices adapted to operate remotely located solenoid valves controlling the flow of pressure-fluid along the pipe lines.

Similarly, the man on the sledge can control the operation of the coal cutting machine 10 and for this purpose, the machine is provided with two identical manually-op erable control devices 34. These two control devices are. placed so that at least one is convenient for operation from the sledge and is accessible between the front row of support props or legs 17. It will be appreciated that if two controls 34 were not provided a position might arise Where access to a single control is prevented or interfered with because it is immediately, or almost immediately, behind one of the front support legs 17. a

In FIGURE 4, electricity power supply cables for driving the machine, 10 are indicated at 36, the control devices 34 being associated with these supply cables. The cables 36 are carried in a cable carrier or handler 38 on the conveyor. This cable handler is of known kind and is designed to loop up or fold the cable neatly as the apparatus moves along the coal face.

In some cases controls for the supports and/ or the coal cutting machine may be mounted .on the sledge itself in which case a furthercable handler 37 will be provided for handling electric cables 35v associated with these controls and over which the electrical control devices on the sledge operate solenoid valves associated with the sup ports and contactors or relays associated with the cutting machine. This further cable handler is mounted on the front supportunit.

Provision is made for advancing the rope haulage.

mounted on the thrust bar and straps 21, 23 (FIGURE 5) to provide a track for the sledge. Preferably the sledge will be long enoughto extend over at least four such rollers. A throat may 'be' provided at the entrance to the track so as to guide the sledge onto the rollers.

Alternatively, the rollers may be on the sledge and the rails bull-nosed; the amount .of tolerance left between the rails and the guideson the straps is made greater than the expected difference between the relative position of the chocks.

Instead of the controls from the sledge being by a cable or cables from the end of the face to the machine via a cable handler, the controls may be by radio or an ultrasonic system. In the case of radio, two transmitters and two receivers will prefereably be provided so that the front prop does not screen the signal passing each front prop.

The haulage means for the sledge preferably comprises a vertical or scroll drum at each end, the drive unit being situated in the road-head supports.

Preferably the controls are such that the speed of the sledge can be synchronized with the speed of the coal cutter or shearer and power loader, the controls being flexible enough to permit separate control when necessary.

Two sledges may be provided, one for a man to operate the cutting machine and the other for a man to operate advancing of the conveyor and supports.

Where there is a second sledge it will be convenient for it to travel, say, 20 to 30 yards behind the shearer. One of the tasks of the man on this sledge will be to operate remotely the snaking or push-over of the conveyor, then, from the same station, one to five chocks, after which the sledge is hauled forward by the same number of chocks. This cycle is repeated as the sledge is hauled stage-'by-stage along the face. The ropes for hauling the sledge will be arranged so as to avoid the possibility of one fouling the other during snaking of the conveyor to which the haulage gear may be attached.

The sledge may, of course, run directly on the floor, no special track being provided in the passageway between the forward and rearward units of the supports.

I claim:

1. In combination, a mine roof support system comprising a plurality of self-advancing pressure-fluid-operated supports each having a forward roof-supporting unit, a rearward roof-supporting unit, a roof-engaging member mounted on said units and a trackway section between said forward and rearward units whereby there is provided, through said plurality of supports, a trackway extending longitudinally of the support system and the mineral face and under said roof-engaging members, at least one carriage on which a person can lie prone positioned to run on said trackway and means for moving said carriage along said trackway comprising a continuously travelling rope, a haulage means at one end of the mineral face for driving said travelling rope and attaching means on the carriage 'by which said carriage can temporarily be attached to said continuously travelling rope so that it will be moved thereby along the trackway, said means for attaching the carriage to the rope comprising a rope gripping member having a pedal by which it can be operated by a person lying prone on the carriage to attach the carriage to the travelling rope, there being two of said pedal-operated attaching means at each end of the carriage, one for attaching it to a part of the rope travelling in one direction and one for attaching it to a part of the rope travelling in the opposite direction whereby the person on the carriage can face in either direction and still operate said two attaching means.

2. The combination claimed in claim 1 wherein each pedal has a spring biasing it in the rope releasing direction.

3. The combination claimed in claim 1 wherein the forward and rearward units of the roof supports are connected together at their lower parts by members which also serve to provide said track sections.

4. The combination claimed in claim 1 wherein the roof supports incorporate hydraulic ram means for their advancement and wherein said hydraulic ram means have thrust bars which form a part of each track section.

5. The combination claimed in claim 1 wherein each track section is provided with rollers on which the carriage runs.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,109,801 9/1914 Stewart 104-202 X 2,217,946 10/1940 Dondero 104-202 2,772,639 12/1956 Ingold 104-202 3,113,763 12/1963 Wendt et a1. 29933 X FOREIGN PATENTS 919,942 11/ 1954 Germany. 1,087,999 9/ 1960 Germany.

ERNEST R. PURSER, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN COMBINTAION, A MINE ROOF SUPPORT SYSTEM COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF SELF-ADVANCING PRESSURE-FLUID-OPERATED SUPPORTS EACH HAVING A FORWARD ROOF-SUPPORTING UNIT, A REARWARD ROOF-SUPPORTING UNIT, A ROOF-ENGAGING MEMBER MOUNTED ON SAID UNITS AND A TRACKWAY SECTION BETWEEN SAID FORWARD AND REARWARD UNITS WHEREBY THERE IS PROVIDED THROUGH SAID PLURALITY OF SUPPORTS, A TRACKWAY EXTENDING LONGUTIDINALLY OF THE SUPPORT SYSTEM AND THE MINERAL FACE AND UNDER SAID ROOF-ENGAGING MEMBERS, AT LEAST ONE CARRIAGE ON WHICH A PERSON CAN LIE PRONE POSITIONED TO RUN ON SAID TRACKWAY AND MEANS FOR MOVING SAID CARRIAGE ALONG SAID TRACKWAY COMPRISING A CONTINUOUSLY TRAVELLING ROPE, A HAULAGE MEANS AT ONE END OF THE MINERAL FACE FOR DRIVING SAID TRAVELLING ROPE AND ATTACHING MEANS ON THE CARRIAGE BY WHICH SAID CARRIAGE CAN TEMPORARILY BE ATTACHED TO SAID CONTINUOUSLY TRAVELLING ROPE SO THAT IT WILL BE MOVED THEREBY ALONG THE TRACKWAY, SAID MEANS FOR ATTACHING THE CARRIAGE TO THE ROPE COMPRISING A ROPE GRIPPING MEMBER HAVING A PEDAL BY WHICH IT CAN BE OPERATED BY A PERSON LYING PRONE ON THE CARRIAGE TO ATTACH THE CARRIAGE TO THE TRAVELLING ROPE, THERE BEING TWO OF SAID PEDAL-OPERATED ATTACHING MEANS AT EACH END OF THE CARRIAGE, ONE FOR ATTACHING IT TO A PART OF THE ROPE TRAVELLING IN ONE DIRECTION AND ONE FOR ATTACHING IT TO A PART OF THE ROPE TRAVELLING IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION WHEREBY THE PERSON ON THE CARRIAGE CAN FACE IN EITHER DIERECTION AND STILL OPERATE SAID TWO ATTACHING MEANS. 